The Highest-Paid Assistant Coach In College Football Just Took A $450,000 Pay Cut To Coach At ... Arkansas State

Malzahn was the offensive coordinator at Auburn for the past three seasons. He earned $1.3 million a year — making him the highest-paid assistant coach in the country.

He'll make $850,000 at ASU, according to Charles Goldberg of The Birmingham News.

So why's he going?

He gets to run his own ship with low expectations. Malzahn turned down Maryland and Vanderbilt after the 2010 season, so it's a little curious that he'd bolt for a Sun Belt team this winter. But unlike the jobs at UMD and Vandy, Malzahn will have time to install his own system and figure out what works without the weight of expectations on his shoulders.

He's going home. He was a big-time high school coach in Arkansas a decade ago before jumping to the college ranks.